After more than two years apart, Bear the dog got to experience the loving embrace of his human, Kelly Thomas, and a Thanksgiving dinner at home. Some might call it a miracle. But like most happy endings, this isn’t a story of random luck – or at least, not completely. It’s a story about good-hearted people going out of their way to do the right thing, and the foresight of a responsible owner being rewarded.
In July of 2013, Kelly and her husband were in a car accident in Marietta. In a panic, Bear fled the scene of the wreck. Despite Kelly and her husband’s diligent efforts – contacting shelters and veterinarians, putting up fliers, reaching out to friends on Facebook – they were unable to locate their Bear.
A year later, a new story. In October of 2014, dog rescuers Stephanie Sparks and Kera Bagwell heard about a dog roaming around a junk yard – hungry, nervous, resistant to approach. Stephanie and Kera had a simple plan to engage with the dog, whom they called Cornbread. They’d offer him food for a while and earn his trust. Then, once they had a chance to capture him, they’d take him to a vet clinic in hopes that he’d been microchipped.
But it wasn’t easy. “We had absolutely no idea that it was gonna turn into a thirteen month ordeal,” Kera said. “We thought we were going to go out, make friends with this dog, put him in the car and take him home.” It wasn’t until just this November, after over a year of slowly but surely gaining Cornbread’s trust, that Stephanie and Kera were able to capture him and take him to the TBT Vet Clinic in Marietta. There, their greatest hope was confirmed: Cornbread – that is, Bear – had been microchipped.
And that’s how Stephanie and Kera’s selfless, heroic persistence – and Kelly’s responsible foresight – combined to make this beautiful reunion possible:
Kelly’s gratitude for Bear’s rescuers was profound. “They brought my baby home, and not only did they bring him home, they took care of him, they adjusted their schedules to take care of him.”
Kelly, Stephanie and Kera hope that this incredible story encourages more dog owners to get their pets microchipped. You never know when it might be the difference between a lost companion and a miracle reunion.
